


Mettaton's Home, Sweetie-Pie

by Mettatony



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-30 02:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10151018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mettatony/pseuds/Mettatony
Summary: Mettaton comes home to tell the truth to Napstablook about everything. Things don't go as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fic. I wanted to explore Mettaton's relationships with others, and how his personality causes conflicts. I love him and this game so much. I want to slowly add to this. 
> 
> Thank you so much Shannon (toaster-licking-club.tumblr.com) for pushing me to finish this and editing for me.
> 
> and thank you reader for clicking on this. I hope you enjoy.

“But, you know, with my face instead of hers! So what do you think?!”

 

Frisk shot them a deadpan gaze, shrugging with no intent on answering the question.

 

“Fabulous! I completely agree! Oh, Frisk. Why don't you go see Alphys? Since this all, she's really done her best to set everything right...Ha-ha. I'm happy for her.” He turns his head away from the child. At this, Frisk waves goodbye to Napstablook and Mettaton, leaving the two to themselves.

 

Napstablook has had a lot on their mind extremely recently. Within the past hour or so, a bright white light knocked on their door. They hid in their home from it, and when they finally emerged Mettaton( _THE_ Mettaton) was standing outside of their home. Before they could really ask why he was here, Mettaton greeted them warmly and before he could get more in, the human they met earlier approached them.

 

Now that they were alone with Mettaton again, they mustered up the courage to float over to him.

 

“Oh...Mettaton..I never got to ask..Why are you here? I know I called into your show...but I don't know how you could have known it was me...Is this a new tv show?” They struggled to maintain full opacity.

 

Mettaton gives them a warm look, almost solemn. Nothing like he has ever shown on his shows before. He gazed down intently, choking on his words, mustering up the courage to spill the truth.

 

“Na..Blooky. It's....it's me. I'm...I'm Hapstablook.” His right hand grabs his left elbow, holding himself together.

 

Napstablook almost fades out of sight immediately. How does Mettaton know their cousin's name? Why would he claim this? They were already nervous enough coming face to face with someone they admired from TV. Someone who they went to for comfort when days were too hard and would live through(vicariously). And now, somehow, Mettaton has taken where he is rooted in Napstablook's life and twisted his heel into a place they haven't thought about in ages: their missing cousin.

 

Mettaton, seeing his cousin almost immediately disappear, is overcome with dread.. This isn't how he wanted this to go down at all. He saw this playing out with dear Blooky being so overcome with relief that he would be crying tears of joy! Reality isn't a show though. Now he was left with the suffocating atmosphere he created. It's not like he hadn't foreseen this as a possibility, though he hadn't hoped for it. He wanted to avoid all of these feelings. How will he even attempt to console him and be honest with him about all of this? No, no, it won't continue like this.

 

“Oh..Blooky...” he mutters, attempting to regain his composure. “This truly is the tear filled reunion of beloved cousins!” His smile is forced, almost sickening, but he's trying to reign it in. Fake it till you make it.

 

“I should have filmed this..haha. Hind sight _is_ always 20-20, darling...I missed you. A lot. And when you called in, I knew I couldn't keep this from you any longer. And I am sorry about all of this. I know I promised never to leave you behind, and then I did without word until now. But, I am truly sorry, and do hope you can forgive me.” He looks down, solemnly, but more confident. _Nailed it_ is the first thought to run through his mind. But this isn't an act, is it? He does feel remorseful and guilty, right?

 

Napstablook is fully transparent, hiding in plain sight so Mettaton cannot see the flow of tears coming from them. They want to wail. They want to lose themselves to this anguish and betrayal, sink farther and farther into nothingness. When they see Mettaton's reaction and hear his apology, they don't understand. This has all been so confusing. Hapstablook would act like this when confronted about something. They would put on brave faces and act more in control then they may have been. It doesn't help that this never set well with Napstablook, either. They never confronted their cousin about it, because they accepted them as they were even if they didn't like it. If he _was_ lying, why would he be acting just like they would? They can't bring themselves to reply. To ask why, or how.

 

Somewhere in their soul, they also feel a melancholy, a faint pinging of happiness to be reunited with their cousin. Memories slowly trickle in. Of times laying on the ground in their house, feeling like garbage. Small conversations floating above the quiet water pools. Sharing music, dreams, aspirations. Taking turns watching the snails. Reassurances and promises as their small family dwindled. They are drowning in a sea of emotion, tears completely running down their ethereal body. They latch onto that pinging. They just want to be with their cousin. All of that can wait, they need that reassurance. They find it and drag that feeling to the surface.

 

Mettaton hasn't seen or heard Napstablook after his apology. He really thought this would work, too. If it doesn't he has to really get into the nitty gritty of what he did. He wants to just reassure them. Surely, if he does they will come around. Blooky can't hate him more than the remorse he already has about it all, right? He _does_ feel guilty about this. As much as he wants to pretend he doesn't and that he's above this, he isn't. He stays quiet, looking away towards the farm, and hears the small sounds of tears hitting the gravel in front of the two houses. Tear drops lead into pools forming under the ghost.

 

Napstablook isn't fully opaque when they are grabbed by Mettaton, who manages to get enough of a grip on them to complete a hug. His soft voice when he says their name reminds them so much of their cousin's old voice. They really are Hapstablook; he wasn't playing some cruel joke on them. He still has the urge to ask so many things. Why. The word lingers in their head, but Mettaton continues to hug them.

 

As soon as he noticed they were becoming visible again, Mettaton jumped at the opportunity to hug his cousin. Seeing them cry wasn't a new sight to him in the slightest. Knowing he was the one who caused it, however, might have been a bit too much, and for once Mettaton doesn't trust himself to find the words to ease the situation; instead opting for physical comfort. Not hard to misread, and still a display of his apologies and comfort. Still being a ghost, now fully corporeal in a robotic body, allowed him this opportunity to physically interact with other ethereal being.

 

This hug seemed to last ages to Napstablook. They began to ease up on crying, large tear drops becoming thin, wavy tear strands but still flowing slowly. After another age or so, they pull away from Mettaton. He grabs his elbow with his hand again and shrugs, looking up at them and then looking down. Despite how nice it was to be hugged by someone again, Mettaton didn't say anything during it all, and Napstablook had so many questions still. They struggled to find out what exactly they wanted to say, still very conflicted about how exactly they are feeling. While running over possibilities, Mettaton speaks up again.

 

“Blooky, again..I'm more sorry than I could properly express now. Or maybe ever. Hanging around here with me telling you I'm sorry over and over isn't really going to fix things, is it? I know...I know you don't need to forgive me. But, I believe I've said my piece, and must be getting off. There's a whole world of humans waiting up there for me, and I'd wish for more than anything for you to join me if you can find it in your soul.”

 

Napstablook blinks once, then twice, and almost want to just disappear again, breaking down into full blown sobbing. Mettaton sure is rushing this...and despite it all, they do forgive him. They just need to talk still and they don't have the words right now. They don't want him to leave without him knowing the truth. They want their cousin back, and he's right here, offering himself. He's apologized, and he certainly seems like he means it. Another thought pops into their mind. “There's time later.” It's nothing concrete, a wobbly foundation for repairing a broken relationship, but there are benefits. They get to be with him again, a family again. On the surface no less, with their new human friend as well. Perhaps it won't be so bad. At least they won't be alone.

 

As Mettaton turns around to leave, Napstablook speaks out; louder than they have been before.

 

“Wait...Mettaton! I...I forgive you. Of course I forgive you...You're my cousin, my closest friend. You hurt me...but I forgive you. And want you back in my life. I want to go with you...if you'll just let me grab some things...”

 

The tall robot lunges at the ghost again, shaking with glee. “Oh, Blooky, of course!!! I'm so thankful that you forgive me. I'll make it up to you in spades, darling. In _SPADES!_ The whole world is our oyster, and we have a lot of time to make new memories! Together, as friends and as cousins.” His face is plastered with a smile that radiates warmth and confidence, drawing out a faint smile from Napstablook.

 

They float back towards their home to grab some necessities. Knowing that their cousin is back feels them with...an uneasy optimism.

 


	2. Razor and Lipstick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Napstablook tries to have a heart to heart with Mettaton. Mettaton isn't great at talking about issues others have with him.

Mettaton was the last one into the apartment, as per usual. His normal schedule after a live performance is to stay until every fan has been personally thanked, or his battery saver mode was forced into activation.

With it being so late all of the lights were off. The only visibility provided by the streetlight that poked under closed curtains and the soft pink glow of Mettaton's own soul drifting in it's case. He drops his things by the door haphazardly and begins towards his room. Luckily, their apartment was mostly carpeted so he didn't risk waking up his roommates with the would-be clacking of his heels.

To his left was Napstablook's room, and across the hall from them was the largest room for Shyren and Lemon Bread. They had all decided to live together shortly after returning to the surface and a bit longer after that due to waiting for monsters to be allowed to rent property. Shyren couldn't bear to leave Lemon Bread after being reunited, and after finding a place the cousins were more than happy to give the two as much space as they needed.

Passing his cousin's room on the way to his, it wasn't unusual to see their door somewhat ajar. They often would be reviewing their set piece again or scouring the net anxiously for complaints about the show. Mettaton has told them often to just ask the fans what they did and didn't like, that the complaints online would be more hurtful than constructive. The ghost listened to the suggestion, though normally couldn't resist the urge to look.

Tonight, however, their light was on. Something atypical of the anxious ghost. Mettaton takes it upon himself to investigate. Napstablook is hovering over their bed, back to the door. Through their translucent form, he could see they were holding something flat, and had a book on the bed. Mettaton gives a knock on the door as he enters the room.

“Blooky, what are you still doing up? Normally when you're restless after a show you're on your computer, not keeping yourself awake with the room light on...” Mettaton murmurs, completely sincerely.

Startled, Napstablook drops what they had been looking at and turns around quickly. Their eyes are wavering a bit, and small thin tears escape them and float upwards, dispersing into nothing.

“Oh...Mettaton...I didn't hear you get home. Sorry...I've been so busy with these...I...I just felt like I needed to look at them. They're photos from the farm back underground...”

Napstablook floats out of the way, and Mettaton approaches the bed. Surely enough, there was a dirty, aged photo album open on it, filled with photos of different ghosts. The one Napstablook had dropped had flipped upside-down. Mettaton reaches out to turn it over, revealing it to be a photo taken by a patron of the farm. It's a simple photo of just Napstablook and Hapstablook.

The sight was something he was not prepared for. He audibly gasps, dropping the photo. He turns to Napstablook, unable to look them in the eyes. He beings to bore a hole into the ground with his stare, reflexively grabbing his elbows to hold himself together. He begins to shake, teetering over the edge of memories he hadn't visited in a long time.

“Oh...Oh no...” Napstablook squeaks, noticing the reaction and panicking. “I didn't mean to upset you...I...I know you weren't happy with who you were back then...I..I don't want it to seem like I miss the old you...No. I'm glad you are happy with yourself...”

Mettaton finally looks up to meet Napstablook's wavering gaze. That sentiment was what he had be fearing. From his perspective, they had been patching up their relationship swimmingly. Living and working together, learning about each other again. The idea that he was now someone who was finally happy with who they were being unable to live up to the person they used to be; someone he hated. Mettaton's shoulders shook even more, drowning in these thoughts.

Anxiety and guilt floods Napstablook's being. Their actions were being so horribly misinterpreted, but they didn't have the voice to let Mettaton know how they really felt. Not in the moment, with both parties being so overwhelmed with emotion. They began to fade out of visibility, a common tactic for the overstimulated ghost.

As they did, Mettaton's arms shot out at them, grabbing them in place. Naptablook, shocked, momentarily stops their thought processes. Mettaton slowly looks up to them, cheeks wet with scented water he used for realistic stage crying.

“Blooky...I'm sorry. I..I know I'm overreacting. I can't...have you leave right now. Let's just...let's take a moment and calm down. Let's just...lie down a bit. Please?” He utters with a quiet ferocity, as if he were negotiating for his life.

Napstablook slowly nods, regaining their visibility, and floats down to the ground. Mettaton lies himself down as well, reaching over to flip the light switch. He leaves them in the glow of Napstablook's computer and the star's pink soul.

Napstablook is the first to speak after several long minutes. “I...I meant what I said. I...I don't want the old you back. I want Mettaton. My cousin who is...happier than I ever remember seeing them.”

Mettaton turns to look at them. Napstablook's face is a mess of watery eyes, tear droplets, and the warmest smile the ghost could muster.

A soft smile emerges from his still damp face as well, reassured and calm from this exchange. The Blook family tradition has always been the go to coping technique for them when stage nerves or other troubles have become too much. It's a mixture of allowing themselves to be as they are in the moment, while also considering the vastness of the outside world and letting the combination of these two elements soothe them.

Mettaton sits up, reaching to pull Napstablook with them. As he does, he maneuvers them into a hug, coiling around to turn the room light back on.

“Thank you Blooky, I hardly meant to turn this into an ordeal. I think I'm just mentally drained from tonight, as usual.” Mettaton tilts his head back and forth, voice already chipper. This exact sentence is not a new one for him. Most concert nights leave him unable to do more than sleep willingly or forcefully in a state of overexertion, so overreactions from him are not an uncommon occurrence.

“Ahh, yeah...I know you give it your all...but...I just...I wanted to say why I was actually looking through those photos tonight....These past few months have been great...I'm glad we are closer again...but...especially recently...you haven't planned to do anything with Shyren or Lemon Bread...or even me...and I mean outside of practice or work...” Napstablook, looking more or less calm earlier, furrows their would be forehead, working out how to phrase what they are so desperately trying to say. Mettaton is caught off guard for the second time tonight, not having seen their cousin this concentrated often. His look turns to one of almost disgust, his hands going to his hips in a defensive position automatically.

“I...I know you are doing your best for us...but...it...it just seems like we are already losing you again...We want you in our lives for us...We want to know we are more than...more than...” They begin to lose their composure once again, ethereal tears globbing up around the bottom of their eyes and speech wavering. 

“I'm scared...I'm just a weighing you down again...I looked at these to remind myself that you do care...” With this last sentence, fear spreads across Napstablook's face with tears bubbling over onto the floor.

Mettaton responds in kind with anger, what Napstablook dreadfully anticipated and is the reason they were so afraid to do so.

“Blooky! What have I been doing all of this for if not for you!” Mettaton's voice raises alarmingly. “We've been living together for months now, not just because we have to, though that is a factor! I've been working myself to exhaustion to try and improve relations up here with the humans so we CAN have a good, worry free life together!” He balls his gloved hands into fists, and avoids looking at his cousin's face as much as he can. He can't imagine why Napstablook would ever think himself a burden, not after all he's done to show them they aren't.

The ghost, unable to deal with the sudden increase in tension and already very upset, disappears again in the middle of Mettaton's rebuttal. This time, Mettaton doesn't attempt to stop them from doing so, instead constantly switching from folding his arms, then placing his hands on his hips and stops talking. The pool of tears, underneath where Napstablook had previously been, grows.

Only the sound of water hitting carpet, and Napstablook's computer fans can be heard. Mettaton has been running through his mind where he could have failed, and why now his dear cousin would not think he was doing enough for them. He huffs and drops himself on the ghost's bed. The force thrusts the photo of the Blooks into the air, and Mettaton catches it before it lands into his face.

As he looks again, his thoughts fade away. All he can focus on now, with this second glance, is Napstablook's expression. They are smiling. A mythical sight, seeing the lonely ghost's smile. He's taken back to that moment again.

Things weren't easy for the two. Their family consisted of only themselves by that point. All the rest had left the farm to pursue their own dreams. Which meant they had more duties on the farm, having to work a job for four with only themselves. They also had a dwindling consumer base. Only a few folk from the capital and Snowdin would come for business. But despite the trying times, the hungry nights and busy days, the labor and loneliness, Napstablook had a reason to smile.

Mettaton buries his face in his hands, still holding the culprit photo, and moans. “Oh...Blooky...I've done it again, haven't I?” He sobs with messy gasps, and hunches over the edge of the bed. His hands move up towards his hair, grabbing it roughly. The weight of his actions now dawning on him. “I've ignored you all for something I thought you wanted. I thought making sure you all wouldn't have to suffer like we used to would be the solution. What I could do...to make it up to you after everything.” 

Crying is heard over the now soaking area of carpet. Napstablook regains their opacity, still very upset about Mettaton's actions but also concerned for their cousin's feelings. They hover close, and lean their head into Mettaton's, patting his face with their arms and crying with him. They stay like this together for a long while. Mettaton blatantly ignores his internal alarms to recharge, until he is forced into sleep mode sitting upright on his cousin's bed, head still in his hands, Napstablook clumsily drapes their blanket over their cousin's heavy body and falls asleep next to them, less sure of their future with their cousin than they were a few hours prior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos on the first chapter. I want to continue to add to this, as an exploration of Mettaton's and Napstablook's relationship, as well as Mettaton's evolution as an individual.
> 
> Thank you to Goody and the PK Friends discord for their feedback and support.
> 
> Thank you for reading this far. It means so much to me.


End file.
